The Spectacular Spider-girl: To Have and to Hold
by Shadowsnake89
Summary: Things are starting to look up for May. She's defeated some of her most deadly foes, stopped a gang war, and finally has the guy of her dreams. To top it off she's been invited to the wedding of Black Tarantula and Arana. What could go wrong except a master thief, a horde of assassins after the groom, and one of May's old boyfriends. Like we said, what could go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Another normal day in Manhattan, New York. The traffic is backed up, the streets clogged with pedestrians, and the local bank is being robbed yet again. This time, the lucky individuals making the large withdrawal are the Gambonos, Luigi and, as a replacement for his twin brother, his niece Maria. "Alright ladies, just put the money in the bags and everyone gets out alive." Maria waits impatiently as the teller fills the bag, her shotgun pointed at the frightened woman's head. "Hurry up!" She grabs the bag from her. "Okay, let's go."

"Not so fast my young padawan." Luigi stops her, opening the bag, searching for something. "Walla. Here we are." He pulls out a small cylindrical device. "You always want to check for the dye packs otherwise you got the money for nothing. Remember that."

"Yes sir." Maria throws the bag over her shoulder as the two begin to exit. She stops as she sees a young man hiding behind a plant in the corner of the room texting on his phone. She nimbly leaps through the air right behind him. "Hello cutey. Nothing personal but I have to hurt you now before you call the cops."

"Cops aren't the ones you should be worried about." He smirks confidently as she swings the bag of stolen goods at him. Before it can connect however, it is pulled from her hands to the ceiling. Everyone inside looks up to see the friendly neighborhood Spider-girl, clinging to the surface.

"Hey, lay off. It would be a shame to let a face like that go to waist. Now yours on the other hand, that's a different story." The heroine vaults off the ceiling, nailing Maria across the face with a kick. The young acrobat quickly recovers, leaping back to her uncle. "You alright Wes?" Spider-girl whispers behind to her boyfriend. The last month and a half had been an interesting one for their relationship as the Wes had come to not only learn but accept May's identity and roll as one of the city's greatest defenders.

"Well you cut it a little close for my taste but all in all I'm good. Now go get 'em." Spider-girl leaps into action, swinging above the acrobats as the duo unload their firearms in a vain attempt to hit the illusive target.

"Come on you guys, seriously? I have a date in like fifteen minutes and I really don't want to be late." The young woman mocks the two while easily evading each shot, finally stopping and clinging to the wall.

"You're going to need an appointment with the dentist when I'm done with you." Maria gets a running start, scaling the wall with surprising speed and performs a back flip kick that knocks the spider off of her perch. May rebounds swinging across the room, launching web-balls at the acrobat, who responds with several flips to avoid the counterattack. Maria launches herself forward once more.

May easily predicts her move, evading to the side and webbing up the younger Gambono, setting her down on the bank floor. "A word to the not so wise little lady, never try the same move twice in a row. It just looks cheesy. Like button mashing in Street Fighter."

"Let her go!" Luigi shouts as Spider-girl turns to see him with his gun to the head of her boyfriend. "Help her up." she complies without argument, using one of her stingers to cut Maria loose. The girl massages her wrist and turns back to the heroine, delivering a hard punch to her stomach.

"How's that for cheesy bug?" She walks casually to rejoin her uncle as the two make their way slowly outside and to the van parked out front, where several police officers await them.

Luigi, unfazed by this, simply puts Wes in the line of fire. "Weapons down now." They begrudgingly comply as the Gambonos hop into the van with their cash and hostage, speeding off as a determined Spider-girl pursues from a distance. Having tied Wes up in the middle seat, Luigi seated on the passenger's side, slaps Maria across the face. She jerks on the wheel slightly veering to the left before regaining control. "That's for that little stunt at the bank. I told you never to go in alone. Always like we practiced."

"I could have taken her. I had everything under control." She says rubbing her cheek.

"No, don't tell me what you could have done! We work as a team. Your father would have known that."

"My dad, my dad. That's all you ever talk about. Well guess what? He's dead so it's either me or nothing." She shouts, stopping only after she realizes what she has said. "Look uncle, I'm sorry. I know you and dad were close but if we're going to be as good a team I need you to trust me like you trusted him."

Wes still sitting in between them, moving his eyes slightly to stare at each of them briefly. "Uh, this is kind of awkward for me."

"Oh right, sorry. Uncle Luigi maybe we can pick this up later."

"Aw, don't stop this emotional moment just yet. I get the feeling you two were making some real progress." All three look over to see Spider-girl leaning into the driver's side window. "Btw, I have something courtesy of the NYPD." she hurls a canister into the van that quickly releases a cloud of tear gas as she webs Wes out of the seat and over her shoulder. She swings he and herself away from the now out of control vehicle, setting the young man down before continuing the pursuit. She races back to the van as it continues out of control. She swings ahead spraying and emptying several cartridges of webbing, forming a net that stops the Gambonos in their tracks. She perches on atop the now immobilized getaway vehicle, knocking on the driver's side window.

"Knock knock." she says playfully. The door swings open violently, slamming her I the face as she falls to the ground.

Feet first, Maria leaps out of the van and onto the pavement over her dazed target as Luigi emerges from the other side. "Oh I'm sorry. You'll have to come back later. We're currently getting away with the cash." The duo make a mad dash away from the scene only for the web-slinger to snatch away the bags with her remaining webs. "You just don't know when to call it quits, do you?"

"I've been told it's one of my most endearing qualities." Spider-girl says as the two acrobats rush her in an attempt to retrieve their stolen goods. The coordination of the uncle and niece team catches May completely by surprise as their rolls, flips, and leaps force her o the defensive. "And to think I used to pay to see this kind of entertainment at the circus."

"Yes except our show includes a butt kicking free with admission." Luigi mocks as he flips over his niece, kicking the heroine in the face and sending her stumbling backwards. "Let's go!"

"But uncle Luigi." Maria begins to protest.

"We came for the money not the hero. Next time." Luigi shouts. After a quick thought she follows behind as the two run down an alleyway and disappear from a still stunned Spider-girl's sight.

May gets her senses about her and looks in the direction of the fleeing robbers. "Brilliant May. What would dad say about you getting beat by two Cirque de Soleil rejects?" She rushes after them, running along the alley walls, jumping around the corner only to find the two already restrained by ropes and unconscious. "Then again I might get a break for catching the bad guys without even looking. Darkdevil? Ladyhawk? American Dream?" She waits for a reply that never comes. "Thanks whoever you are. Great teamwork. Let's do this more often." She grabs the duo and escorts them to the waiting arms of the police.

"Thanks Spider-girl. We'll hand these two over to S.H.I.E.L.D. They've been looking for these jokers for months." The thankful officer says as the heroine watches the Gambonos loaded into a police van.

"It was no trouble, really."

"Oh, before you go, I have something for you from an old acquaintance. I was to deliver it to you personally." He hands her an envelope before departing with the other officers.

As the NYPD depart, the Gambonos sit quietly, looking across the vehicle as a lone officer keeps watch. They feel the van jerk suddenly and after a few minutes it comes to a complete halt. The officer stands and pulls out a set of keys, unlocking their shackles. "What gives?" Maria asks as she flexes her wrist.

"My employer has assigned me to contact you for a specific assignment."

The duo look across to one another then back to their liberator. "We're in."

May, unaware of what has transpired, has changed back into her civilian clothing and reunited with Wes. "So, be honest. On a scale from one to ten how do you rate that rescue?"

"Well from the standpoint of the rescued I'd have to give you a five. Though factoring in that my girlfriend is the rescuer, I think I can bump you up to a respectable eight."

May chuckles, punching him playfully in the arm. "Eight? Really?"

"In my scores defense, I was kidnapped by those circus yahoos for a good while."

"Still, it was a pretty cool rescue with some nice repartee thrown in. You've got to give me that at least."

"Okay you've got me there. The thing is if you didn't take those two down than who did?"

The couple stop at a coffee shop and grab some well deserved refreshments and alone time in the corner of the establishment. "So many heroes in the city it could have been anyone." May pauses, taking a sip of her beverage. "thing is, recently it feels like someone's been watching me. Seems like every time I go out to fight it's like I can feel them looming over my shoulder, breathing down my neck."

Wes can see how this particular topic is affecting her and decides to change the subject. "So...you said some guy handed you some kind of package?"

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot." She pulls the envelope out and, tearing it open begins to read the paper inside. "Hmm. Uh-huh. Interesting." She slowly slides it back into the envelope and places it softly on the table with a somewhat serious expression on her face.

"What is it? Did something bad happen? Is it a a world crisis or something?"

She ends the suspenseful moment with a few simple words. "You wanna be my plus one?"


	2. Chapter 2

After saying goodnight to Wes, May heads for home opening the front door as she hears her mother in the kitchen. "Is that you May?"

"Yeah mom. Wes just dropped me off. By the way I need to ask if I could.." She stops as she enters the kitchen and notices her mother talking to a woman with auburn hair as she holds baby Benjy. "Oh sorry I didn't know we had company."

"You must be May." the woman says as she stands and walks toward her. "It's so good to finally meet you. The pictures your father send really do you no justice. Sorry I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start over. I'm your aunt Teresa." May looks for a moment with a bit of confusion.

"She's your father's younger sister." Mary Jane explains.

"Wait, my dad? I thought dad was an only child outside of uncle Ben."

"Me and Peter are a few years apart. I was born just before our parent's accident. The agency they worked for thought it was best to have me raised by a foster family without Peter or any of our relatives aware I even existed. I ended up working for the agency after school."

"So how did you and my dad find each other?"May asks in amazement.

"That's a rather interesting story itself. For now let's just say afterward we decided to keep in touch."

"Your aunt came to town to see us before she left on a trip. Unfortunately your father and your uncle Phil got called out of state as consultants for a forensics case and they won't be back for at least a week." Mary Jane explains.

"I was hoping to surprise my big bro but I guess it'll have to wait until I get back." Outside the three hear the sound of a car horn. "Oh that's my ride to the airport. Really wish I could stay longer but I can't miss my flight. It was so good to finally meet you May. You too Benjy. I'll bring you back some souvenirs." Teresa finishes her goodbyes and the family walk out on the porch to see her off as she hops into the back of a black car with tinted windows. She waves back one last time as the vehicle pulls off.

As she sits back comfortably in her seat the driver hits a switch on the dashboard which sets out a small table with files on it in front of her. She goes through them all before looking back at the driver. "So they've decided to play ball with us after all?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. But what about these independents they've hired?"

"They say they're non negotiable. They need a fallback just in case we don't deliver."

"Understandable, but I still don't like it. We've already been saddled with one of them now they've hired eight more. Well orders are orders I suppose."

Back at the Parker home May decides to ask her mom the big question. "She seems really interesting. I hope we get to spend more time with her." May follows her mother back into the kitchen where she seats her little brother into his high chair to feed him.

"Well she is your father's sister. And people don't get much more interesting them him."

"By the way I was wondering. A friend of mine is getting married soon and I was hoping you'd let me go out of town to attend."

"Oh that sounds wonderful. Whose the lucky couple?" Her mothers inquiry freezes May in her tracks.

"Uh oh there old friends of mine from elementary school. I honestly didn't think they'd remember me. I was really surprised when I got the invite. They've even offered to fly all the guests out there out of their own pocket." May hopes that the explanation will suffice.

"That's very generous of them. Alright but I don't know if your father would be comfortable with you traveling on your own."

"Well they said I could bring a plus one and Wes said he'd go with me."

"I'm not sure your father would be all too happy with that arrangement." mary Jane pauses for a time before finally responding. "Okay, just promise me nothing will happen and call as soon as you get there. Where is the wedding being held by the way?" 

May pauses again giving a wide smile as she turns to her. "It's uh..it's a ways south. They wanted to have it in a warmer climate."

"Oh you mean Las Vegas."

"Yeah like that." May says half smiling, hoping her mother will buy it.

"Well alright, you can go. Just make sure you remember what I said about calling."

"I will mom. Thanks so much." She quickly hugs her mother than races up stairs to call Wes and get her things ready for the wedding. As she pulls out what she will bring she stops to think. "I wonder what the weather is like in Delvadia."

**The Hand Headquarters, New York Branch**

Deep within the ninja compound three members have gathered in a surprisingly high-tech lab as several doctors work tirelessly around a large glowing tube in the center of the room. The leader of the three approaches the scientists. "Status update Doctor Jade."

The woman turns to him with a clipboard in her hand, scrolling through the pages. "All in all things are looking very good. The miniscule amount of tissue you were able to deliver and despite the long time he has been deceased, we were surprisingly able to deliver on your otherwise impossible request."

The head ninja approaches the tank putting his hand against it. "Kirigi, can you hear me? You are needed once more. The fool Stick thought a powerful warrior such as you could truly be destroyed. His foolish belief is our greatest triumph." Suddenly the machines around the room seem to go into overdrive as the science staff rush to the different panels to see what exactly is going on.

"Vitals are spiking like I've never seen." Jade says as the warrior bursts his hand through the glass wall of the container, liquids spilling over the floor. "He's ready."

"Good, not a moment too soon."

**LaGuardia Airport**

"Well just a few more minutes and we'll be off. You nervous?" Wes asks as he and May settle into their seats aboard the flight bound for Delvadia.

"No not really. Of course this is my first trip out of country, my parents don't know and I'm going to the wedding of a guy who tried to hit on me and then ex-me off on an occasion or two. Other than that I'm fine."

"It's just I've never seen someone bowl through seventeen bags of peanuts before we even get off the ground."

"Okay I guess I'm a little nervous." May says as she stops herself from opening yet another bag.

"Hey don't worry. It's going to be simple. We go, they say their vows, we mingle, then we come home. Simple as that."

"Yeah about that. Thing is it's more of a non-social event. There's going to be a lot of important people at the wedding, most of them not exactly the kind of people you want to get to know."

"So I'm guessing it's an extremely quiet black suit and tie event."

"It's more of a black mask and tie event. Everyone's going to be incognito for the wedding. So I think it would be best if we got some disguises before the wedding. I hope that's still cool."

"Are you kidding? This is going to be awesome." This statement causes May to give him a very odd look.

A few hours later the two head from the Delvadian International Airport to their hotel. After checking into the small, two story hotel the couple decide to take in the sites. "I just think it'll be cool to see what it's like to have a secret identity."

"It's not as glamorous as it sounds, trust me."

"Hey!" The two notice a young dark-skinned man rushing down the street toward them, his dirty blonde hair spiked up. "May-day Parker is that you? Crikey, didn't think I'd see you around, especially not here." He speaks with a very distinct Australian accent. The three trade glances for a moment before the young man speaks again. "It's me, Fred."

May takes a long hard look before finally realizing. "Fred!" She says excitedly before the two share a hug. "It's been too long. What are you doing here?"

"Just relaxing taking in the local scene. What about you?"

"Here for a wedding of a friend actually." May notices Wes giving her a funny look. "Oh, this is my boyfriend, Wes."

"Fred Dagger. My friends just call me Fred Pleasure to meet you mate."

"Likewise. So you and May our old friends?"

"You could say that."

As the three continue talking May suddenly gets a twinge that runs down her spine as her spider-sense goes off. "Oh this can't be good." She thinks to herself as the group hear a voice coming from a short distance away.

"Hey babe." A young woman with short curly black hair jumps on Fred's back, hanging over his shoulders. "Thought I lost you for a bit. Who are your friends?" She says. May and Wes notice she is speaking with a common Delvadian dialect as she talks to Fred.

"You know I love it when you say things I have no clue what they mean." The two continue to sweet talk each other until they realize just how they are coming off to the others. "Sorry, let me introduce you. May, Wes, this is Mia. Met her a couple of days ago at the terminal and she's been giving me the tour of this wonderful place since."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Same here." May says as the meeting is cut short as the group notice a crowd of onlookers gathering at the other end of the street.

"What's all the commotion?" Wes asks puzzled as they make their way down. Making their way through the thick crowd they come upon a makeshift boxing ring where two men are in the final stages of a match. The first, a muscular tan skinned man with a red bandana wrapped around his head is busy making quick work of his opponent, a slightly shorter and thinner man. The latter tries in desperation to do anything, attempting to clinch with the former only to be forced down.

"He can't hurt me folks." The larger man boasts as he pushes him back and delivers a hard right hook that sends his opponent to the ground for good. As the bell rings the winner parades around the ring as the other man is dragged from wear he lay. As he moves to his corner the announcer takes center stage.

"Is there no one who can go three rounds with the champ?" As he sees no one responding he decides to up the stakes. "Not even for five-thousand dollars? Is there anyone brave enough to go up against the Delvadian Devil, the South American Southpaw, the King of the Ring, Jose "The Machete" Lopez!"

"Don't waste your breath." Lopez says as he snatches the microphone. "Look at them. Scared out of their boots. Hey gringo. Yeah you." He says pointing at Wes. "Why don't you step up and show your lady friend how tough you are? Unless of course you want to come in here little lady and see what a real man is like." Many in the crowd begin to laugh as Lopez continues to taunt and showboat.

"Come on Wes, let's get out of here." May implores as she leads Wes by the arm.

"Hold on. I'm not letting him get away with insulting my old girl's new man." Fred says as he turns to the couple, removing his jacket and preparing to step in the ring.

"No one is getting in that ring." May emphasizes to the group.

"Except for her Mia." Wes points out as they all turn to find the young Delvadian steeping into the ring, removing her shoes and jacket as the ref hands her a set of gloves.

"Looks like we have a man in the audience after all." Lopez taunts as the two head to the center of the ring and begin to square off. "Okay, don't worry chica, I'm going to take it easy on you." He continues, popping her lightly once on the top of the head.

"Shouldn't we do something?" May asks as the three look on.

The boxer continues his mocking behavior for most of the first round, bobbing and weaving around Mia while sporadically popping her with light jabs. Lopez swings a soft left hook to knock her down, only for her to duck under it and floor him with an uppercut to the chin. "Nah, she seems to be on top of things." Lopez struggles to get back to his feet, clearly shaken by what has just occurred. He makes the six count before rushing back into the fray. As he jabs furiously, it's now Mia who weaves around his attacks, landing her own shots as the round ends. With the crowd giving a thunderous applause, she heads back to her corner.

"Did you know she could do that?" May asks.

"Hey this is the first I'm hearing about this." Fred responds as they watch as Mia stands ready to enter the next round while in the opposite corner Lopez's manager chews him out, slapping him in the head.

"I hope she can handle herself as well this next round. He's looking really ticked." Wes notes as the bell rings for round two.

Lopez, clearly upset over his performance last round, goes straight after the girl. She continues her evasion tactic, dancing around her opponent while throwing jab after jab. "I thought you were a fighter not a punching bag." she jokes as she backs off for a moment allowing him to throw missing blows.

"You want a fight, then you'll get one!" Lopez waits as Mia moves in again to throw a jab then rushes forward, purposely stepping on her foot and knocking her to the ground. As she gets to her feet, he takes quick advantage of his underhanded move and begins pounding her with punches. He forces her against the ropes and continues his assault, finally landing a shot that puts her flat on her face, leaving her three friends speechless and the crowd in an uproar as he once again parades around the ring. As the count goes on Mia raises her hand and touches her face, noticing a bloody cut under her left eye. She grits her teeth in rage and gets to her feet by the eight count. "Oh, you want some more huh?" He gestures for her to come to him.

She lets out a furious roar as she rushes him, completely ignoring his punches. She begins tearing into his midsection, throwing lightning fast body blows for which he has no answer. Lopez attempts to keep his guard up but is unable to tolerate the mass amount of punishment he is receiving. His legs finally buckling he goes limp. Still infuriated, Mia refuses to let him fall, pushing him up against the ropes and continuing her assault.

"She's gonna kill that poor chump." Fred says as the trio watch on.

"Mia stop!" May shouts, begging her to end it. This causes her to stop, holding her right fist back as she pushes Lopez over, finally allowing the fight to come to an end. She promptly grabs her shoes and snatches the prize money from the manager before exiting the ring, among mixed reactions.

Fred rushes over to her, hugging her as the four depart. "That was incredible! How did you do that?"

"I grew up in the streets. I learned to take and give a hit." She says as she brushes her hair over her face in an attempt to keep the cut hidden.

"You looked like you did a whole lot more than just give it." Wes notes as he sees several men lifting the still unconscious Lopez out of the ring.

"I have...anger issues." she states softly. "Sometimes it's hard to keep it under control."

"It's alright, I think we've all had those moments. But it's all about learning to control it and not letting it control you." May says as she places a reassuring hand on Mia's shoulder. As she does so she gets another jolting sense of danger, stopping for a moment.

Wes, noticing this, stops as well. "You alright May?"

"I'm fine. Probably just a little jet lagged is all." She says in a slightly defensive tone. "Hey Fred why don't we catch up with you guys tomorrow? I'm sure Mia wants to get that looked at."

"Sounds like a plan." The group say there good byes as May and Wes head back to their hotel.

"Well they seem...nice." Wes says, noting the strange behavior that he and May witnessed from the girl.

"Hey, everybody has those days. I get them more often than others. For now let's just call it a night. We can look for the other stuff we need tomorrow and besides, I'm expecting a package."

In another part of town a completely different group is meeting for a far more devious goal. "Ladies, gentlemen. So glad you could be here tonight." A woman's voice comes from the scaffolding above in the shadows as the collected members stand or seat in the center of the room. "You've all been invited here for a very special occasion: The wedding of the Black Tarntula and his blushing bride Arana. Naturally this is a very joyous occasion. That is until we have our say." Suddenly the lights below the walkway turn on and all below see the others clearly. "I'd like to welcome Bruiser, the immovable powerhouse that has come off victorious against some of the most powerful beings on the planet." A large man clad in a green and black bodysuit with a mask that covers the top of his face takes notice.

"The Gambonos, the high flying trapeze team." The duo give a slight nod. To their mystery employer.

"Kirigi, the Hand's most lethal weapon." The ninja neither says anything nor moves from his meditative position as the introductions continue.

"Piet Vorhees, the King Cobra. Your in and out assassin methods have served you well in the past. Let's see how you do against a challenge." The viper merely sticks out his forked tongue.

"Shocker, one of the most accomplished members of this group. You've gone toe to toe with legends in the hero community."

The quilted villain looks up at, attempting to shield his eyes from the near blinding lights. "Where's the free grub we were promised?" he asks as the speaker moves on.

"Boomerang. Your father made himself a very lengthy career from a very peculiar motive. Let's hope you can live up to his reputation." Decked out in a more armored version of the old suit, complete with tinted riot mask, the new villain twirls one of his signature weapons in his hand.

"Holger Johanson, The Sniper. Your record in Europe is quite impressive. It's almost as if you know exactly where your target is going to be."

The man, dressed in camouflage and sporting a visor helmet that covers the upper half of his face smirks. "Yeah, almost."

"And last but not least Machete." The employer stops as she notices that he is absent. "Where is he!"

Boomerang starts to chuckle, still playing with his weapon. "I don't think he'll be showing up. Had a bit of an accident earlier. Something to do with a girl, five-thousand dollars and a no holds barred boxing match."

"Ooh, sounds juicy." Maria Gambono says as she sits atop a crate.

"Well we'll just have to go on without him it seems. You all know why we're here. The Black Tarantula has 'retired' and has seeded his empire to one Man Mountain Marko who is of no real consequence now. LaMuerta has made enemies for years and if he thinks that he can simply call it quits and live happily ever after, well, he has another thing coming."


	3. Chapter 3

Early the next morning, at the hotel May and Wes are staying, May hears a knock on the door. She gets out of bed and puts a robe on, opening the door as a man wearing a wide brimmed hat and a package in his hands stands about a foot back. "Thank you." She says handing him a small amount of money as he tips his hat and walks away.

"Who was that?" Wes asks rolling over in his bed.

"Just the delivery guy bringing our costumes. Thank you uncle Kaine." She opens her package and takes out her Spider-girl suit along with two black masks. "Catch." She tosses one to Wes, who sits up.

"Cool, but why bring your Spider suit?"

"Got my mask for the wedding and my originals just in case everything hits the fan, which of course is a very good possibility. Don't forget, we're meeting up with Fred and Mia at noon."

"I don't know. Do you really think it's a good idea after what went down yesterday? I mean she seems kind of, punchy."

"I'll admit, she's a little rough around the edges but let's give her a chance. Besides, it'll hurt Fred's feelings if we cancel."

"How exactly do you know him?"

"It's nothing, we kind of dated in middle school is all. It was nothing serious. I haven't seen him since his family moved back to Australia." May pauses and turns to Wes with a smirk. "Wait. Don't tell me you're jealous? It was a while ago and we never even kissed."

"Okay, maybe I am a little. But I trust you. Let me get a shower and I'll be all set." Wes gets up, grabs his towel and heads to the shower. He sticks his head back out for a moment. "By the way, is he..."

"He's Aborigine."

"Thought so." He pops back in as May gets her things ready. Later that day, the two meet up with Fred and Mia at one of the local open air restaurants. "Glad you could make it." Fred says as he gestures the two over to a table he and Mia are at.

"Wouldn't have missed it." The two sit down as May looks over at Mia, noticing the bandage over the cut she had received the previous day. "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm doing much better now. Thanks."

"Hey, your move." I man from across the room shouts as May and Wes notice him with three darts in his hand. "Sorry, just one minute." Fred excuses himself as he turns the chair slightly, adjusting his aim toward the dart board on the opposite side of the room and effortlessly drops all three darts into the triple twenty zone. Everyone in the room is left with their mouths agape as Fred gets up, collects his money from the other man and rejoins the group. He notices the other three giving him odd looks. "Amateur darts champion four years in a row back home. My dad used to play a decent game of baseball back in the day, guess I inherited his arm."

"Oh yeah. He was a pretty funny guy. Hey how is he anyway?" May asks.

"Couldn't tell you. Haven't seen him since he left me and mom about four years ago."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Don't worry too much. Me and her are getting by just fine, especially with my new job and all."

"What kind of work do you do?" Wes inquires.

"Private security work. It's not bad work. I do a lot of traveling actually." Fred takes a sip of his drink before turning his attention to Wes. "So what do you do for work mate?"

"Well, it hasn't really taken off yet, but I'm working as a comic writer." This causes Fred to chuckle a bit. "Something funny?"

"You mate. Writing kiddy books. Yeah, that will keep you and the little lady fed and warm. No, but seriously, I'm sure you're good at your little scribbles and all."

"Lay off Fred. Wes does good work and it's really coming together. It's harder than you might think." May says in his defense.

"Alright, apologies Wes. May's a good judge of character. If she thinks you're that good than you must have talent. But you know, me and her used to be pretty close and I got to know if she's being taken care of by the right kind of guy. And there's only one way to figure that out."

May puts her hand over her face. "Please not that."

"What?" Mia asks.

"Hey waiter, bring us some glasses." Fred calls as he continues with his order of items.

"The choke challenge." May says with slight embarrassment as the waiter brings them two large glasses filled with milk, a jar of peanut butter and four thick slices of bread.

"This separates the men from the boys in my home town." Fred says as he slaps two heaping globs of peanut butter onto the slices of bread before pressing them together. "Here's the rules: First fella to finish his sandwich is the winner. You stop to drink anytime before the last bite is swallowed you lose. May you make the call."

"Do we really have to do this?" May asks in annoyance.

"Make the call." Fred says confidently.

May lets out a sigh as she concedes. "In three, two, one, go." She says as the two begin, with many of the patrons drawn to the spectacle. As the two get off to a speedy start, both May and Mia trade stares as the contest goes on. "Sadly this is what you've gotten yourself into girl."

"Is that the best you got?" Fred says with a full mouth.

"You ain't seen nothing yet." Wes replies, his words coming out gargled as his mouth is likewise stuffed as he speeds up. Fred attempts to regain the lead but finds he has overexerted himself. He begins to choke, frantically grabbing the glass and pouring it into his mouth, most of it spilling on the floor as the others cheer Wes on, who soldiers on to finish the remaining bites of his sandwich. He jumps up, opening his mouth to show he has finished before quickly chugging down his glass as well. May raises his hand as she cheers for him. "The winner."

Fred gets his breath back as he stands up and walks over to the couple. "Good on ya mate." He gives Wes a congratulatory pat on the back. "Mayday sure knows how to pick'em."

"You did it Wes. I'd kiss you but you should definitely clean yourself up first."

"Fair enough."

"Well this certainly was...a thing. What do you say we continue on with today's planned tour. There are quite a few sites to take in before the day is over." Mia says as the others nod in agreement. After a long day of touring some of Delvadia's most beautiful sites around the area, May and Wes head back to the hotel.

"That was definitely a day that's going down in the books. The beautiful Delvadian landscape, the amazing art, and to top it off, you beat Fred at his own game. Tell me Reynard Westin, how does it fill to be the new 'Choke Challenge' champion." May jokes, putting on a reporter inflection in her voice.

"It feels great, really great to just be given the opportunity. "Wes plays along. "And I'd like to give a shout out to my girlfriend May Parker. This is for you." He leans in as the two kiss. As they continue May suddenly stops as her spider sense begins to buzz loudly. She moves back for a moment, looking around as she spots someone or something, moving through the nearby trees. "What's wrong?"

"It might be nothing or it might be something. Only a quick web swing will tell. Don't wait up for me." She says as she heads into the room to grab her gear.

**LaMuerto Estate**

Just outside the estate the thief, Claw sits perched in a tree scanning the area with a wrist device. "It's showtime." He uses a small remote controlled helicopter, hovering it over an area where four guards are making their rounds. It drops a small canister that catches the groups attention as it rolls away. As they give chase he uses a modified grapple gun to fire over the long distance from where he is hidden to one of the balconies they were patrolling. After fastening the other end to the tree he skillfully makes his way across. "Oh yeah. I'm just that good." He says to himself as he reaches the other side.

Claw silently picks the lock to the door before slipping inside. He uses his wrist gauntlet to fire a stream of gas that puts the laser security into full view. He manages to maneuver himself through the field, protecting the Black Tarantula's most prized possessions before finally reaching his goal, a vase shielded by a sheet of bullet proof glass. "The fabled Vase of Galador. Pathetic protection Mr. LeMuerto I must say."

"Unless of course you have a friendly neighborhood Spider-girl to pull a late night shift." The heroine says as she hangs from the ceiling.

"Come all the way to Delvadia just to see me? My dear lady, I am touched."

"Touched in the head for sure. Oh and just to prove that." She uses her web to pull one of the other cases over and into the security beams, setting off the alarms.

"So much for finesse." Claw pull out a device that affixes itself to the case, vibrating at a high rate, shattering it as he grabs his prize and makes a brake for it. "Farewell my lady."

"Not so fast Rembrandt." She fires a stream of webbing to halt him. She quickly finds, however, that he is much more nimble then their last encounter. "Wow, you really do have moves."

"Was there any doubt?" He says as jumps out to the second floor walk way.

"Oh tons. I'm just pleasantly surprised." She races after him as he makes a dash back to his high wire escape route. He stops, placing the vase on the wide railing, then turns and engages Spider-girl in a fast hand to hand exchange. Claw leaps over the young woman as she throws a punch at him, almost forgetting that his prize is in danger. He quickly launches a wrist cable that catches her hand just before it smashes the artifact. "Thanks." She says politely.

"Can't have you smashing my big payday." He hits a button on the gauntlet that sends a jolt of electricity to the heroine, paralyzing her for a moment. The thief quickly rushes to regain the vase only for several guards to catch him in the act. "Gentlemen, I can assure you that there is a completely reasonable explanation for all this." The group point there guns at him from either direction as he holds the stolen item. "I take it you won't be buying that. Oh well. Later." He leans back and simply falls over the edge, surprising them as they see him swing away on his wrist cable, opening fire until he vanishes from site.

Finally getting to her feet Spider-girl looks out at the jungle. "I'm so gonna sue him." The guards then turn their guns on her. She quickly clogs their guns with webbing before giving chase to Claw. "Don't worry boys. I'll have your vase thingy back before you know it." Without much effort she catches up to Claw, casually waving with one hand as the thief is both shocked and impressed. The web-slinger swings around, firing a glob of webbing onto Claw's gauntlet, preventing him from retracting the cable, then swings around and swipes the vase from him, tossing it up and suspending it in a net.

"Not bad." He says as a laser blade extends from his other wrist gauntlet, which he uses to cut himself free, swinging himself onto a branch. Claw then dashes back toward the vase as May follows suit. He uses his wrist mounted blade to keep her at bay, accidentally cutting the webbing loose as the vase plummets to the ground. "Not good!" The two say in unison as they both dive for it. May fires her impact webbing at Claw mid-fall, sticking him to a tree as she focuses solely on retrieving the item before it hits the ground. She is startled as another figure swoops in, saving the vase. She pulls up at the last second, swinging inches from the jungle floor, then catches back up to the mystery savior.

She lands on the branch above him, seeing a man wearing black military garb with a red spider painted on the flak jacket and a blue half mask tied like a bandana. "And who might you be stranger?" She asks him.

"The Tarantula is my name, not to be confused with this vase's rightful owner." He tosses the item back to her. "I am but one in a long line of heroes that serve for the betterment of all Delvadia."

"So you're kind of a police officer?"

"In a sense, yes. I am a symbol of justice for the people. Now I don't mean any disrespect but what is an American doing so far from home?"

"Oh you know a little sun, a little fun." Before the conversation can go further the two look down to see Claw attempting to escape. "Excuse me." She webs his hands back into place, preventing him from using his blade again. "Now what to do with you."

"I don't suppose you'd consider not turning me over to the authorities, like that guy up there?"

"Can't say that there's much choice. It's either him or the Black Tarantula, who you had to be pretty stupid if you thought you were going to steal from him."

"I just thought since the LaMuerto is soon to be departed, he wouldn't miss a few rarer pieces."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell them I told you but someone has assembled quite a few high mark hit-men to take the Black Tarantula out on his oh so special day. From what I've gathered from my circles, they've already arrived and it's only a matter of time before the deed is done." As he plans to expound on the situation Tarantula leaps down.

"It seems the owners guard dogs have arrived. I suggest we make ourselves scarce. I'll hand this one over to the proper authorities. Till next time." Before May can say anything else, the other hero and Claw vanish in a puff of smoke. When the guards arrive, all they find is the vase suspended by a web line with a small "You're Welcome" note attached. In the distance, Holger Johanson, The Sniper, having watched the entire show, puts his binoculars away and stealthily moves from the scene.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're sure it was her?" Luigi Gambono asks, sitting at a table in an isolated section of an open air cafe as he and some of the other assassins discuss last night's events in their civilian garb.

"No doubt. I've seen enough video to know the real deal." Johannsson, the Sniper says, wearing khakis and a blue Hawaiian print shirt with black sunglasses.

"Yes, rematch time." Maria says cheerfully, seated next to her uncle.

"Not so fast. We need to figure this out. What's she even doing here?" Luigi says as he sips a drink.

"She must have been hired by LaMuerto for extra security." Piett Vorhees, King Cobra hisses as his forked tongue dips into his drink.

"I don't think so. Seems the guards were completely surprised that she was there." Johannsson says.

As Piett ponders he looks up to notice Maria staring at him. "Something I can help you with?"

"It's just so cool. It's just like when I was back at the circus. I mean we've got the acrobats, the contortionist, the marksman, the strongman. It's just so awesome. Speaking of which where's the other half of the team?"

"That Bruiser fella ain't into the whole team up thing. Neither is that creepy ninja and couldn't get a hold of Boomerang." Herman Schultz, the Shocker says as he eats. "Their loss I suppose."

"Yes, but it's going to make it even harder to get the job done without a coordinated effort. Any one of them could tip off Black Tarantula if they jump the gun." Luigi explains.

"Personally, I think we should take out Spider-girl first. She could throw off everything." Cobra suggests.

"I'm liking this idea." Maria says with a smile. "But how are we supposed to find her? It's not like she's wearing that suit twenty-four seven."

"I have her aura traced." Sniper says as the others give him odd looks. "Every living thing has it's own unique signature, like a finger print. I can detect it and hone in on it. I tried last night to get a read on LaMuerto but he's hold up in that place tight. And so much security around that place made it nearly impossible to get a read on him. I was lucky to get as close as I did. But I definitely got one on Spider-girl."

"And you can track her from it?" Maria asks as she leans on the table. He gives her a nod in confirmation. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"Hold on. We're not going after the hero." The elder Gambono protests. "We can't risk bringing any type of attention around here. The wedding is only a day away. If even the slightest hint that we're here gets out, it'll be even more difficult to get at LaMuerto. For now we have the advantage, she has no clue we're here."

"Unless Claw spilled the beans to save his own skin. That's what I'd do." Shocker says casually.

"Still, even if she does know we're here, she has no idea how many or who we are. And, with Sniper here, we'll be able to trace her every move, which puts us one more step ahead of her. So for now we'll continue as planned. Let the others do their own thing. Working together we stand a much better chance to succeed."

"Do what you want uncle, I've got a spider to squash. Let's go Snipes." Maria says, getting out of her chair and begins to head out with Johannsson. Luigi stands and takes her by the wrist.

"If you'll excuse us for a moment." He says as the two step outside.

"That's not going to be pleasant." Piett says, sipping his drink.

"Kids. Exactly why I never had any." Herman says as they get back to the conversation.

Outside of the restaurant, Luigi chastises his niece. "Will you just listen to me for once? This is no time to go in guns blazing. We have a job to do so let's do it. You'll have your chance at Spider-girl when the time comes."

"I'm sick of you telling me what to do like I'm some six year old who needs you to hold her hand every five seconds."

"I'm trying to keep you safe."

"From what?" She shouts, demanding an answer.

"From ending up like Ernesto." He says, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I loved my brother. After he died I told your mother I would always look out for you, no matter what."

"Uncle Luigi, I'm sorry." The two move a short distance away and stand on a small wooden bridge that overlooks the river. "Mom never told me. How did my dad die?"

"You know about the Wakandan Civil War. We were hired by White Wolf, T'challa's brother and actually helped take the city. Me and your dad made into the palace with the vanguard force to take out the Panther. Almost had him until we got separated. We were a lethal team but alone we didn't stand a chance. You're old man took the fight to him something fierce but in the end he just couldn't hold up. The Panther fled the country when the things started to heat up. I had your mother flown in and a few days later you were born. Wolf made everyone in that mission honorary citizens of the state and seeing as how you were born there..."

"I'm actually Wakandan?"

"A little bit. Of course T'challa came back after a while. There were a lot of things that went down that I'm not going to go into right now but long story short, we came to an agreement that allowed us to come and go peacefully."

"That's why you're always so...overbearing."

"I know you're seventeen now and you don't need me always criticizing everything you do. I just want to keep the promise I made to your mother."

"Thanks." The two share a short hug. "I promise I won't do anything reckless. Why don't we head back. Don't want to seem unprofessional or anything."

That night Maria takes a stroll on her own down the streets as she reaches the brightly light river front. "You there?" She says quietly, looking out at the water.

"What's this all about?" Holger says as he emerges from his hiding spot a short distance away.

"I know what my uncle said but I think it's in everyone's best interest if we take out Spider-girl before tomorrow. And I have the perfect plan for it. We don't have to confront the spider, we just have to kill whoever is behind the mask."

"What are you getting at?"

"You can track her aura, right? Is she in the area?"

Holger stops and uses his ability to scan the area before turning back to Maria. "She's definitely out and about."

"Good. Uncle said he doesn't want us to draw any unnecessary attention. People get killed in this city every day. All anyone will know is that some random tourist got knifed in a mugging." She tosses his an ear piece. "Just mark her, point me in her direction and I'll do the rest. Uncle and Cobra will just think she's a no show, it'll be all that much easier to handle Black Tarantula, and no one's the wiser. You in?"

"Yeah, I'm in. But just in case." He pulls out a collapsable tube from his backpack. I keep this close assassination targets. I'd planned on using it to take out the guards around the estate. It fires a dissolvable dart filled with poison from a local insect. One shot and their out for the count. We hit her with this and it makes it even easier. If you can get her into position for me to take the shot we can be on our way in a matter of minutes."

Maria hesitates for a second before giving a confirming nod. "Alright, let's do this."

A short time later in the bustling night streets, Mia takes the group of May, Wes, and Fred to see some of the Delvadian night life. "And this way we have the cities liveliest night club. Of course if you want to get in there's a two hour wait in line, and that's if you're on the bouncer's good side."

"So I take it we won't be getting in there tonight?" Fred says, scratching the back of his head.

"That's cool. I wasn't that up for dancing the night away anyhow." May responds.

"Yeah. Besides, we still have a big day ahead of us." Wes comments as May nods in agreement.

As the group continues down the street May's spider sense kicks in. She looks around the area and glances upward, spotting a shadowy figure on a nearby rooftop out of the corner of her eye. She takes Wes aside, whispering to him. "I think someone's following us. I'll head that way and see if I can't get the drop on them." She then turns back to Fred and Maria. "If you guys will excuse me I have to use the ladies room." She separates from the others and continues looking over her shoulder as she moves through the thick crowd of citizens and tourists.

"Sniper do you read me?" Maria says into her earpiece.

"Read you loud and clear. She's headed east of your position, headed toward the vendors tables. She must have seen you. Probably the reason she broke off from the others." He pauses talking a look down below. "That's...troubling."

"What is it?"

"Nothing we need to worry about at the moment. I'll tell you about it after this is done. Now get on her!" He says over the mic. Unknown to him, a short distance away stands another figure that moves along the roof tops.

"Alright, alright. I'll see if I can't get her moving back your way for a clean shot." As she moves in closer through the crowd she notices her target has stopped at one of the vendors for a short time before speeding off up the street. "Great, she's on the move again." Maria continues her pursuit as she follows the directions of Sniper, heading this way and that, trying and falling short at every turn to pin down the illusive prey.

"You got to get her back in this direction or I can't get a clean shot. I'm loosing sight of the both of you." As he says this he begins to sense that he is being watched from a short distance away. He quickly takes notice of this and slowly moves for his pistol.

Maria continues on unaware of what is transpiring with her partner. She continues shadowing her target, before finally getting her to make the huge mistake of getting out in the open. "Sniper I've got her take the shot." She says, receiving no reply, however. "Sniper, take it." Again she gets no answer. "Whatever." She says, frustrated as she moves forward with her own plan, knife in hand.

May's spider sense quickly alerts her to the danger as she quickly spins around, grabbing hold of the assailants arm. Maria looks up to find the reason she stopped at the stand, a long, woven scarf wrapped around her face and forehead to conceal her identity. "Didn't expect to see me so soon, huh Spider brat?"

"Well I was hoping to get at least a fifteen to twenty year vacation from you but hey, what are you gonna do about that revolving door judicial system?" She jests. As the two are about to commence fighting, the sound of gunfire shutters through the busy streets, sending everyone scurrying through the streets in a mass panic. Maria takes the opportunity, jolting her wrist enough to toss the blade high enough to catch it in her free hand, swiftly swinging at her targets head. May quickly leans back, releasing her grip on the girl as she continues attacking viciously.

"Anytime would be nice." Maria says over her headset, though still receiving no answer. She thrusts her blade forward as May leaps into the air, kicking the blade out of her hand.

"Give it up. Last time you had a shotgun, a partner, and surprise on your side. Looking at you know, you're minus all three of those."

The acrobat takes note of the girls bare arms. "And by the looks of it you're missing one key element of the spider motif, where as I..." She flicks her right wrist as a long, curved blade tears through her sleeve. Charging forward again she finds that her target is no less illusive.

"Yeah but other than the webs I can still do everything a spider can. Duh." May jokes as Maria swings the blade. She easily steps back and, with great accuracy, grabs the blade by it's sides. With a little bit of force, she manages to snap it in half. "There now you're unarmed. Now let's talk about what you're doing here."

Maria dashes down a side street, prompting May to give chase. The acrobat scales the side of a building with the heroine in hot pursuit. As she reaches the rooftop, May is surprised by a smoke bomb, obscuring her vision. Her spider sense triggers, though she can not determine from which angle. She moves back to the edge of the roof to minimze the risk to herself. "You really want to know why I'm here? Well, I came for one job but I saw an opportunity to kill two spiders with one big stone." Maria says through the cloud of smoke.

"No worries May." She thinks to herself. "You can't see her but you can still hear well enough." She listens, patiently awaiting any clue as to the whereabouts of her opponent. After a short while, she hears the sound of footsteps along the roof, moving faster and faster, before suddenly cutting off. In a flash she turns her gaze skyward as the younger Gambonno comes down in an aerial attack, swiping with the jagged edge of what remains of her arm blade, but coming up short. She firmly performs a handstand as May kicks her hands from under her and she tumbles across the roof.

Now taking seizing the moment, the heroine leaps forward and tackles the girl to a lower roof. Maria kicks her off and the two split, preparing to go another round. "Maria, come in. Do you read?" Sniper says over the earpiece.

"Finally. I'm a little busy right now."

"Call it off. We've got new orders from the boss."

"No, I've got her right in front of me!" The acrobat protests with May giving her an odd look. "She's not walking away from this one." Maria rushes forward, throwing punches and kicks that May dodges as they come from every possible angle. She throws a left that looks to be coming up short, only for another hidden blade to come from beneath her shirt. "Gotcha!" Before her arm can fully extend she is stopped by a stinging pain in her neck and collapses.

May looks up to see her rescuer is none other than Tarantula. "Looked like you needed some help. Though aren't you a little underdressed to be super heroing tonight?" He says with a smile.

"Guess I am. But when duty calls a hero has to work with what they've got, right?"

"I here that." Tarantula says as he picks up the unconcious acrobat, putting her over his shoulder. "I'll take care of her. Oh, and try to stay out of trouble from now on. You are supposed to be enjoying yourself."

"Oh I plan to do just that." She says as she watches him leap off. A short while later, May reunites with her friends near the scene of all the excitement. "Hey, you miss me?"

"You're alright." Wes says as the two share a short hug.

"Don't you know it. This place just gets more and more crazy the longer we stay. Just like home." May jokes as the group hear police sirens getting louder.

"Well looks like funs over for the night." Fred says, putting his hands in his pockets.

"It's cool I guess. Probably should get back and get some sleep anyway. Big day tomorrow." Wes says.

"We've got a little business to handle in the morning, but maybe we can all meet up say about seven o'clock." May says.

"Sounds like a plan Mayday." Fred says as they all depart for home. After seeing Mia home, the young man receives a text from his associates to meet up. He gets suited up in his Boomerang gear and heads for the meeting point at the warehouse. Waiting for him are Sniper, Cobra and Maria Gombono. "So whats up? Some last minute strategizing?" He is answered by a punch to the face from Cobra that knocks him to the ground. Boomerang attempts to return the favor with a pair of his signature weapons. The serpentine villain easily evades both projectiles as they glide passed either side of him, then lunges forward, tossing Boomerang around the room until Sniper snaps his fingers.

The elder marksman crouches down to the aussie as he gets to his knees. "I'm going to ask you once. How much are they paying you?" He says coldly to the young man.

"What are you ...talking about?" He asks as he struggles to get up.

Maria skips over to him playfully, before violently kicking him in the side. "A few hours ago in the market place. We tracked Spider-girl there."

"Spider-girl? What's she doing down here?" Boomerang asks as he doubles over in pain from the kick.

"That's what we'd like to know."

"And you have the walking handbag and the circus freak pound on me because..."

"Because you were with her."

"No I was with some friends. Not that it's any of your business." This response earns him a powerful punch to the face by Cobra.

"I scanned the area with my aura read. You were right next to her until the whole thing happened with Maria."

Boomerang pieces in his head what went down, putting two and two together. "I wasn't hired by anyone else. And I only met this girl a few days ago. She's just down here for holiday, that's all I know, honest. If I'd known it was Spider-girl, I'd have personally put one in her."

Sniper pulls away the young man's visor and stares at him for a moment before helping him up. "Alright, but I don't think it's pure coincidence you happened to run into her. Maybe she's got better sources then we thought. We're going to need to handle this with a little more tact then before. We're just lucky our friends got to Maria before the police did."

"Sorry for roughing you up." Maria says with Cobra giving a nod as well.

"Don't worry about it. So what's next?"

"We let our friends know who we're dealing with and expect the worst from this. I'll give Shocker a ring and I suggest that you do the same with your uncle." Sniper tells Maria.

"That's going to be fun." She says sarcastically.

As the others prepare for the morning, Boomerang gets himself together, slowly coming to terms with the revelation of his old friends identity. "Alright mates, tomorrow morning is spider season."


End file.
